African Elephants are Evolving to Not Grow Tusks

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

We have seen many proves of animals evolving to survive. Polar bears and arctic foxes, for example, are able to blend into their surroundings and hide from the predators.

Unfortunately, some animals have more to worry about than being attacked by their natural predators. Among them are the elephants who are threatened by poachers for their ivory.

It can sound incredible, but at the same time it makes sense – elephants are evolving to not have tusks. It seems like natural selection is favoring the specimens born without them. The percentage of female elephants born without tusks has risen from between 2% and 4% to around 30%.

According to Joyce Poole, an elephant behavior expert and National Geographic Explorer, poaching has influenced the evolution of elephants because poachers spare those who don’t have them.